


Songs from the Dragon's Heart

by Maiden22



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Natsu singing, Natsu-centric, Singing, Soft Natsu, Song-Centric, Song: Green (Cavetown), Song: Home (Cavetown), Song: Ultimately (Khai Dreams), and his guildmates, he loves his guild, i just like natsu being soft okay, is this primarily natsu-centric, not that he's say it to their face, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:55:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25567033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maiden22/pseuds/Maiden22
Summary: He portrayed everyone in such a loving light, and despite the words of the song, it could clearly be shown how much he respected and cared for them all.
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel & Fairy Tail Guild
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	Songs from the Dragon's Heart

**Author's Note:**

> A Natsu Centric fic! Although it's mostly showing a soft he can be!
> 
> Video is in Italics  
> Singing is in Bolded Italics

The guild was loud, screams and loving insults being tossed back and forth. Small bottles of whiskey, and large mugs filled with beer were tossed around, yells and screeches of horror as liquid drenched someone unsuspecting seemed to ring out from everywhere.

The poor mailman grumbled, easing his way over an unconscious body and towards the bar that - for some fucking reason- was so goddamn far from the door.

The guild members seemed to avoid him thankfully, and the few that did get in his way, waved hello before jumping back into the fray. It was nice to know they recognized him.

At least, he hoped that was what it was.

Finally, he made his way upon the lovingly carved bar, made again and again after years of brawling.

The white haired beauty spotted him instantly, shimmying her way to him and batting a table away with a flick of her hand.

"Hamek!" The woman cheered, finally stopping in front of him. "It's so nice to see you! Been awhile, hasn't it?"

The man chuckled, swiping an arm across his face as he nodded.

"It sure has been, Mira, a rough few months from what i can say." She giggled, leaning over the counter. "Ah, but I'm here on regular duty, I have to finish a few more deliveries."

Mira shrugged apologetically, sliding him a mug of water which he took graciously.

"That's the life of a Mailman." Mira sighed. "Always working."

He snorted into his drink, rolling his eyes at her melodramatic idea. He pointed at her, wiping the water off his lips as she grinned cheekily.

"No need for the sarcasm today." He waggled his finger, before finally pulling up the letters with a simple swipe of his fingers.

The letters easily fell onto the bar, appearing from his own requip space. A small yellow Lacrima falling slowly onto the bar, drawing her attention easily.

"That one," Hamek watched as she scooped up the lacrima with a hand. "Is from the Grand Magic games, heard they were starting it reaaaaallly early this year."

Her eyes shot upward as her fingers began fiddling with the lacrima, probably in an attempt to sneak a peek.

"Well, I should get going, that should head to the master, as far as I know it's a guild-wide letter."

Mira pursed her lips as he turned to walk away, narrowing her eyes at his impish grin.

"Goodbye Hamek, see you soon!" She waved, still disgruntled.

"Goodbye Mira." He waved, starting his quick trek back to the front entrance.

And that was a chair that flew past his face.

Yup, he'd need to get a protection lacrima for this guild.

\---

Mira glanced at the letters on the bar, easily slipping them underneath her arm before she gingerly picked up the lacrima. It wasn't too often that she found one that floated, but this seemed keen to hover a few inches above her fingers, spinning somewhat tightly in place.

With ease, she reached the second floor passing by unturned tables and chairs before reaching the door in the center of the floor. Quickly, she began knocking on the Master’s door, rapping her knuckles against the hardwood before opening it.

The Master seemed to be reading something, giving her a glance above the glasses he wore and nodding in greeting.

Without a sound, she whipped up the letters beneath her arm, shaking them slightly in her grip before slapping them on the desk.

The Master groaned, pinching his nose as he reached over to grab said letters, arm stretching to avoid getting up.

"Let me guess, bills?" He grumbled, swiping his fingers through the letters in an attempt to see them all at once.

"I have no clue." She smiled, chuckling at his sigh of disbelief. "I was more interested in this little thing."

She passed over the Lacrima, letting it glide off her hands and onto the table, where it simply hovered in its final resting spot. The Master gave it a look, tapping it lightly with a finger.

"From the judges of the Grand Magic Games?" Makarov huffed, "The games ended a month ago, what do they want now?"

"Who knows Master, Hamek said they were starting early this year." Mira poked the lacrima on its side, gently pushing it towards the older wizard. "He said it's a guild-wide letter."

The Master huffed his amusement, jumping onto the table and scooping the lacrima up with a drag of his hand. Mira stood up straighter, waiting for him to walk by her before following closely behind.

Makarov quickly headed to the balcony, jumping up and overseeing his guild. The brawl from earlier was still going on, and with extreme resignment, knew he would have to call in for new tables and chairs.

"Alright Brats, knock it off!" He yelled, eyeing the tables and chairs.

The few that heard him calmed down immediately, looking up at him expectantly.

That's to say, the other half of the guild were still fighting it out amongst themselves like the bratlings they were. Something he could be immensely proud of most of the time, but at the moment, Makarov really didn't appreciate it.

"OI, I SAID KNOCK IT OFF!" He roared, growing a few inches taller to get his point across.

They all froze, turning to face him with guilty expressions.

Except their residential pyromaniac, who was treated to a hefty punch from their red haired fairy.

Mira quietly giggled from behind him as he let his eyes roam around, making sure all of them were watching him. Shrinking back, he coughed into his hand and held up the yellow lacrima, letting it glow slightly to attract more attention.

"We have a guild-wide letter from the Grand Magic Games." He held up a hand, stopping any questions before they started. "I have yet to see it, and figured we all watch it at once, so take a seat!"

Everyone scrambled, sitting on available chairs or resorting to sitting on the unbroken tables.

Some of them, like Natsu and Gray, instantly planted themselves onto the floor, staring up at him expectantly.

Once everything settled one more, he swiped the lacrima up, feeling the magic flow up for a second and into a pop up screen. Makarov couldn't help but still be slightly amazed at the new technology, and how crisp the images turned out. A far cry from their near pixelated forms a few 7 years back.

He stepped back, allowing the image to play as the familiar pumpkin headed announcer popped into frame, tiny cape flowing freely behind them.

 _"Hello, Kabo!"_ The pumpkin announced, voice carrying easily. _"It's your friend Mato! Coming in with a new fresh announcement! Kabo!"_

Mato switched his position into a thinking one, the eerie smile still plastered on his pumpkin face.

 _"Yes, we know the grand magic games just ended, but we need to start early for next year! This one is different then anything we have ever done, and if it goes nicely, we'll do this again for the next upcoming years! Kabo!"_ He threw his arms open, excitedly floating for a few seconds. _"Now, this year we're starting the first two rounds with, you guessed it, a singing competition, Kabo!"_

Instantly, murmurs began to flow through the guild, Makarov himself feeling slightly disappointed at the ' _new'_ challenge. With Mirajane by his side, there would be no way they could lose!

 _"Now, I know each guild has their dedicated singer. Kabo."_ Mato grinned impishly, leaning forward towards the camera. _"So we decided that you wouldn't get to decide who sings, we would, Kabo!"_

The entire guild froze, some of them scrambling back in surprise.

The Master felt himself begin to sweat in disbelief. Of course he's had a few members show lovely talent in singing… but that was a handful compared to the unknowns or worse.

The ones like Gajeel…

Shakily, he hoped that the judges chose fairly -and preferably- one of the girls in the guild.

 _"Each guild has a wide number of people, so we each picked one that seemed interesting, someone who has really made themselves known for something other than singing. Kabo."_ The pumpkin flew back, arms and legs spreading wide as if he jumped, before spinning tightly and pointing at the camera. _"And for Fairy_ _T_ _ail we chose, Natsu Dragneel! Kabo!"_

There was a long stretch of silence, each member staring at the team before slowly turning to said pyro. Natsu sat stock still, his entire body tense and wide eyed.

Suddenly, he rocketed to his feet, a look of panic and disbelief on his face.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ME!? I CAN'T SING! I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW!" Natsu roared, earning panicked wails and similar screams of denial.

Mato seemed to have predicted this sort of reaction and panic, as he simply leaned back grinning. Waiting for something.

He held up a hand, not bothering with waiting for the noise to quiet down, instead projecting his voice louder to be heard. It took Makarov a second to remember that this was a recording.

 _"Just to note, any transformation magic to change into the chosen candidate will be an immediate disqualification. Kabo!"_ He winked at them. _"Now, Kabo, for the next part. Every guild has two weeks to return an answer, Kabo. The_ _l_ _acrima's we sent with this message will be your recording equipment, Kabo. When the_ _l_ _acrima turns green it means that the time has started and all guilds have received and played the instructions, Kabo."_

Everyone quieted down, uneasily staring at the yellow Lacrima.

 _"It will then fade to a bright Red when time is almost up. If you don't record anything, it will be sent as is and you are out, Kabo! Each Guild does get a choice on the type of song they sing, but we pick the genre, Kabo!"_ Another wink, as he brought out a notepad and a pair of reading glasses. _"For_ _F_ _airy_ _T_ _ail, Kabo, you are going to be singing along the genre of_ _P_ _op or Alternative/_ _I_ _ndie. We give you the choice of two just like every other guild,_ _t_ _here are to be no background singers unless its the chosen person_ _s vocals_ _, Kabo! But we will allow some background instruments from other guild members._ _J_ _ust to note, playing instruments isn't required in the slightest and won't hinder or help your score, Kabo, using an instrumental of the song is fine as well, but you need to have the vocals of our Chosen, Kabo! You can edit it to be a music video, but we don't expect that much considering the time restraint, but a video_ _can be shown so long as in the beginning and end, our Chosen is shown singing, Kabo,"_

With each word he spoke, Makarov felt his soul leave his body just an inch more. Dread swirling in his stomach.

It didn't sound like they could join this year, especially if Natsu himself was so unconfident in his own ability to win.

 _"Good luck to all, Kabo!"_ Mato leaned in, leering bemusedly at them all. _"Some of you will need it."_

And with that the screen fizzled out of existence, leaving the guild to stew around in silence. The Lacrima hovered mid air for a second, turning orange before shooting off towards the fire mage, a band wrapping around his arm and planting the lacrima there. The word Standby appeared in white.

Natsu, still standing, threw his arms up in disbelief, a growl quickly following the motion.

"Well guess we're not joining this year."

"Say goodbye to not fighting."

"Man, we're gonna be wiped out in the preliminaries!"

"Well back to being the sucky guild again."

"We just got our title back I'm so-"

"Sorry, gramps." Natsu pouted angrily, shaking his arm where the Lacrima was wrapped around. "I don't think I could do this…"

Everyone fell silent, looking defeated and disheartened. None more-so then Natsu, who stared at the lacrima as if it ruined his life. Everyone seemed ready to leave it at that.

Instead, Erza stomped forward, slapping Natsu harsh on the back, sending the mage splat on his stomach. Everyone winced.

"Come on, Natsu," She scolded. "You're going to give up before you even try!? At the very least, you can give it a go!"

“A-Aye sir.” Natsu groaned from his spot on the floor.

Unsatisfied with his answer Erza gave a quick glare to the people around her. Quickly, everyone began humming and nodding in agreement, giving false words of encouragement that clearly didn’t reach the fire mages ears.

Makarov stood up, jumping down to where Natsu was on the floor and giving him a soft pat on his head. The pink haired dragon peaked up miserably, a look of distaste and doubt, easily identifiable on his face.

"My boy, I understand that you aren't exactly fond of the outcome." Makarov started. "But why not give it a shot? You don't need to record yourself at all unless you're ready, and even if you decide not to in the end, none of us here would blame you."

Natsu hummed in aggravation, a low growl building up in his throat before dying out with a huff.

"I'll give it a try." He murmured eyes downcast.

The guild cheered as one, Makarov leaning over to pat Natsu on his head.

Internally, he could only hope Natsu could pull through and at least get them past the preliminaries.

\---

The day ended quickly, with Natsu furiously scrolling through music on a borrowed lacrima from Laxus. Lucy and Happy by his side, pointing at songs and suggesting a few that they knew off the top of their heads. Although the three listened to a wide variety, they decided not many songs would fit or seemed right.

Both Erza and Gray tried their hardest to help out, but with Gray egging him on and Erza being too forward with everyone, the two had to be pushed away for Natsu to concentrate.

"I hate this." Natsu grumbled for the umpteenth time, choosing a new song on the list that caught his eye. "All of these are so… romantic and I hate it."

"Come on Natsu, Romance isn't so bad" Happy pursed his lips, ear twitching at the new song playing. "I think they're nice."

"It's definitely different." Lucy quickly swiped at another song, nose scrunching up at another mention of sex. "I think the songs that only talk about sex are kind of weird."

"That's the thing though." Natsu groaned, head hitting the table. "That's ALL any of them are, am I just cursed to sing a sex song? I don't wanna and you can't make me."

"Erza might." Lucy countered, smiling sympathetically as a shiver ran through Natsu. "Look, we still got some time before that Lacrima turns green, I think, at the very least a bit of searching can help us!"

He groaned again, slamming his head on the table and randomly clicking a new song, growling when the song started to talk about drugs.

He wasn't a big fan of music, that wasn't to say he didn't like a few. But Natsu wasn't really adverse to sitting still long enough to listen to a song or two. They always felt way too long, and after a few measly seconds, had him turning off the radio to run or fight something new.

He liked when Mira sang, or when the few members sat up to sing. Sans Gajeel of course. He could sit for hours on end when needed.

Natsu wasn't a singer though, he wasn't… he didn't have the consciousness to try and sing along to the few songs he knew. Humming was fine, but singing?

Not so much.

Idly, he lifted his hand and chose another song.

Oh great, a sad song.

At least it wasn't about sex.

He felt his ears perk up slightly, hearing the tapping of shoes and the smell of a nicely cooked chicken and fish.

Perking his head up, he watched as Mira came forward with a sympathetic smile, placing a few plates around the trio along with some drinks.

His stomach growled so reached out and grabbed the biggest plate, poking the chicken with a hard pout.

"Thanks Mira." Natsu murmured, grabbing a fork and picking at his food.

"Any luck?" She asked, handing Happy a raw Fish.

"None, We keep trying but…" Lucy grimaced.

"There are a lot of songs with drugs and sex." Happy grinned, chewing on his fish. "Natsu doesn't like them."

"They're dumb!" Natsu quickly defended himself, taking a harsh bite out of his chicken. "I hate it!"

Mira sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Music has always been like that, maybe look at Alternative and Indie? I think Pop is the one that's centered around romance the most." Mira pointed at the genre list. "Although, I can recognize a few songs that don't have sex or drugs involved, why not choose those?"

"They don't feel right," Lucy griped, huffing and stealing a vegetable from Natsu's plate, despite the food on hers. "We listened to them and all agreed that it didn't seem like Natsu could hit those notes."

Natsu nodded, perking up and looking at Mira.

"Hey Mira?" she turned to look at him. "How do you sing?"

The two around him snorted, and even Mira couldn't help but giggle softly behind her hand. Natsu growled, dipping his head low and glaring at Lucy with a pout.

"I don't sing, so maybe if she told me how she sings I could be better?" Natsu reasoned, though it didn't stop the soft giggles.

Mira hummed, sitting on the table as she kicked her feet.

"Um… well." She patted her chest. "I sing from the heart, and I warm up my vocals with different exercises as well. I guess you can look up singing exercises on the web could help. There are plenty of videos that helped me out when I was younger."

He pouted harder, face squishing against the table.

"Sorry Natsu, i don't really know how to explain." Mira shrugged apologetically.

He waved a hand.

"Mah- it's fine, it was worth a shot though." He finished off his plate, stabbing through his final vegetable with a look at Lucy.

She grinned innocently, finishing off her own fish plate.

"I'm gonna head home and look through it some more." Natsu sighed, lifting himself up and glancing at his floating friend. "You coming, Happy?"

Happy hummed, floating over to Lucy and resting on her head, his white wings disappearing.

"I think I'll stay with Lucy, I don't want to distract you!" He placed a paw on his lips, cheeks puffing out as he tried to stop himself from showing his amusement.

It didn't work as well as he thought, as Natsu stuck his tongue out at him, leaning over to flick him across the head.

"How rude!" Natsu huffed, grabbing the Lacrima he borrowed. "I'll see you guys around then."

"Later Natsu!" Lucy called, as Mira waved goodbye.

"This is gonna be interesting." Mira smiled as Natsu left the guild, grabbing the now empty plates and heading towards the bar.

\--

For the next week, Natsu only came in occasionally. He always had the Lacrima he borrowed, along with a notebook and pencil.

He seemed far more frazzled and tired, but pleased with himself.

More often then not, they'd find him humming a song, tapping the pencil to a beat before fucking up the beat entirely. He’d pause his humming and look at his hand, taping a bit out of rhythm before finding it and continuing his humming.

They'd watch as his nose turned in disgust and with a small flick of his hand change the song.

Often he'd drag in Lucy, or Happy to listen to what he heard and see their reactions. On occasion, he'd drag in someone randomly, point to his notebook before playing a song on the Lacrima

"This reminded me of you." He'd say and it would make any person dragged in feel warm and fuzzy inside.

The Lacrima turned green on the fourth day with the phrase “14 days” written in white. It caused a small panic within the guild, but Natsu just looked relieved.

Not that anyone could blame him, he seemed exhausted.

Everyone curiously tried to listen to him when they could, but whenever he noticed, he clammed up, puffing his cheeks in embarrassment as he looked around. They had yet to catch him sing and it was beginning to frustrate the entire guild.

"I found a song!" Natsu screeched, bolting into the guild hall with a maniac wave of his hands on the eighth day. "And it's one I actually like too!"

He raised his notepad, before quickly snatching it back down placing it close to his chest. There was a sudden look of contemplation.

"Oh? Which song?" Makarov hummed, peeking over in an attempt to see.

Natsu hummed, looking around as he thought. Suddenly, he slapped his notebook close, waving it around for a second before hiding it inside his pocket.

"I don't want to say anymore, I want it to be a surprise!" Natsu grinned, holding out a fist in giddy. "But it really reminds me of the guild!"

The Master hummed, raising a brow but kept quiet. If Natsu could pull this off in the next few days it would be great, they only had about a week left and time was ticking.

On the second to last day, Natsu came in looking refreshed and happy. He walked over to Laxus' table, handing him the borrowed lacrima before walking to the bar.

The moment he sat down, he slammed his head against the bar, groaning. Erza and Gray eased forward on either side of him, Erza going so far as to poke him on the side. He grumbled, wiggling at the touch.

"I sent it in, and I hate it." Natsu sighed. "It was easier than I expected and now I'm worried."

Erza and Gray gave him surprised looks, glancing down at their friend.

"You actually finished it?" Gray huffed out laughing. "Oh man, I can't wait to see our rejection let-OW!"

Erza gave him a hard punch to the shoulder over Natsu, sending him careening to the floor. She gave him a glare, a furious scowl on her lips.

"Don't talk like that, I'm sure it's great!" She huffed, pushing her hair out of her face for a second. “It’s nice that you got it in so early too, Mermaid Heel sent theirs yesterday. So I’m sure you’re fine.”

Natsu didn't seem to want to rise up to the bait, keeping his head firmly planted on the bar.

"I hope it is." Natsu groaned, biting his lip. "I've never been so nervous over something, so this is new."

Gray's eyebrows shot up in surprise, sitting back at the bar.

"Wait- you're actually nervous about this?" He poked the pinkette on the back, again no movement. "I've never seen you this worried over something you hate."

Finally, Natsu shot up, planting both his fist on the bar with a soft thunk. He gritted his teeth, running a hand through his pink locks. Steam emitted from the area, and when he pulled his hand away his hair stood up straight.

"I know-" Natsu growled. "I guess it's because I tried really hard for this… I just... I don't want to fail? I didn't hate it as much as I thought but…"

He hummed in frustration, his nose curling up as he crossed his arms.

"Now I wish I spent more time on it." Grumbling in frustration, he pushed his chair back, leaning it on two legs.

Erza quickly shot the chair forward, smacking him across the head. Natsu winced, rubbing the back of his head in pain as he leaned forward, the chair clicking as all four legs touched the floor.

"You must have been proud of it, if you submitted it this early." Erza shrugged. "Even if it was a spur of the moment ordeal, I'm sure it's amazing."

Natsu smiled at her uneasily, planting his hands on the bar and asking Mira for a meal.

Behind his head both Gray and Erza traded uneasy looks.

They hoped the outcome was good, they didn't know what could happen if Natsu failed his own expectations.

\---

The lacrima flashed red on the final day at 4 in afternoon.

Everyone in the guild quietly sat around Natsu, watching as the lacrima flashed red a white bar slowly rising up. The band disappeared and the lacrima tipped down. With hasty hands, Natsu managed to snag it before it hit the floor a sigh of relief echoed everyone as he held it up in victory.

The Lacrima hummed, floating on his hand but stubbornly stayed red, and with quiet resignation, Natsu handed the lacrima to the Master.

The very next day, the lacrima began to flash again around noon. This time changing from red to yellow to green.

No one really knew what it meant, as Makarov showed them the change of colors, and could only hope it was a good sign.

A screen appeared before their very eyes. Mato once again showing up in the center of the video and frightening them all. A small frame appeared at the top right and in big red bold letters showed the word Live.

 _"Hello Guilds! Nice to see you so soon! Kabo."_ Mato giggled, winking. _"I'm giving the guild's five minutes to call in their members, we have the results for the following year's Preliminaries! And will be announcing the winners,_ _shortly, Kabo_ _!"_

Natsu stood stock still by Lucy, shaking and waiting, eyes wide and tracing the screen itself. She eventually had to drag him to the table closest to the screen, not that anyone had any arguments about that. Mira eventually came by to sit by them, placing a meal of fish before Natsu in an attempt to ease his nerves.

One by one more members came rushing in, hastily finding seats and squeezing in till the guild was full. The ones out on missions were watching through their own lacrima’s, intent on seeing their placement.

Finally, Mato appeared again on screen, eyes twinkling in delight. A page appeared on screen, simply titled as winners.

A list of names appeared and with anticipation, they glanced around.

Fairy Tail's name was on the list.

A resounding cheer echoed across the guild, some members reaching over to pat Natsu on the back, who had a look of delighted disbelief on his face. A smile easing its way across his lips.

 _"Now, Kabo,"_ Mato tutted, pointing at the list. _"You may have noticed that there are no numbers for placements on here, but you'll see soon, Kabo,_ _I_ _want to say something first."_

The entire guild fell silent, prickles of anxiety dancing across their skin as they waited for the pumpkin man to start.

" _We got exceptionally wonderful performances, many of which were entirely surprising, Kabo,"_ He chortled, wiping an imaginary tear off his face. _"So for this, we'll be showing off all the top three runners and then into the other winners as well. A big change from how we originally did it. Kabo."_

He brought up three names with a flick of his hand. Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail.

 _"And here are our top 3 contenders! Kabo!_ "

Natsu jumped in surprise, a strangled noise in his throat as he looked at them all in surprise. When words failed him, he simply pointed at the screen.

Cheers rung through the guild, hardy pats on Natsu's back as Mato laughed in delight in the background.

 _"Our third place winner was Lamia Scale! Singing Alternative Rock with the song Hallelujah!"_ Mato grinned, interrupting their celebration. _"Jura Neekis sure has a lovely voice, don't you think, Kabo?"_

Instantly, the video of Jura singing began to play. At first the soft strums of the guitar rang across the guild, the wizard saint sitting on a chair surrounded by his guild members.

When he began to sign, his soft baritone voice filled the room. Soft and Broken, adding an emotion to the song that not many had the chance to hear.

They all quietly let the music wash over them, feeling their entire being relax.

When the song came to a close, they began to clap. Congratulating Jura on a job well done despite the fact that the wizard saint had no way of knowing.

Mato clapped as well, spinning in place.

 _"Now wasn't that wonderful, Kabo?"_ Mato grinned, shaking in place. _"Now our first place winner is- drum-roll please, Kabo!"_

There was a mock Drum-roll that began to play, The pumpkin man shaking his hands to the fast paced beat in anticipation. He jumped up, arms spreading wide as he called out the winner.

_"FAIRY TAIL!"_

Screeches of disbelief and amazement rang through the guild. Natsu being one of the loudest.

 _"But first-"_ They cut off quickly, holding their breath in surprise. _"Here's our Second runner up, Risley Law singing Tangled Up in our Genre Jazz, Kabo!!!"_

The plump girl of Mermaid Heel showed up in, what looked like, a singing booth. The music was fast paced, and like Jura, she put a lot of emotion in her song. The video quickly changed to a coordinated dance between the members of Mermaid Heel. They seemed delighted to play along, letting their chosen singer be front and center. It ended with her back in the booth, winking into the camera as it faded to black.

Eagerly, Fairy tail shook in anticipation, waiting as Mato appeared again on screen.

 _"What a feisty song, so upbeat,_ _Kabo_ _!"_ Mato grinned, winking at the camera. _"And now for_ _the_ _winner, Fairy_ _T_ _ail! This one was pretty amazing all things considered, Kabo!"_

He paused, grinning cheekily.

 _"What many of you have noticed is that the Lacrima captures any point of singing, Kabo. So we got to see some failures and plenty of improvement. Although, none of them affected your score unless it was submitted, Kabo."_ Mato placed a gloved hand on his cheek, still grinning. _"But for the sake of the winner, I decided to show the first few full songs our dear Chosen of Fairy Tail has decided to sing, Kabo."_

Natsu's face got an odd look, scrunching up as a flush of pink touched his cheeks.

Quietly all of them waited in anticipation, not wanting to embarrass their Salamander any more than need be. Of course, if they caught him doing anything extremely embarrassing, he would never live it down.

 _"Now, singing our Genres of Pop and Alternative slash Indie. We have Natsu Dragneel, singing three songs that he so helpfully names, Kabo!"_ Mato grinned.

The image faded into Natsu sitting at his kitchen table, looking frazzled and annoyed, pencil tapping the table at a quick speed.

_"Ultimately? Would that be a good song?" Natsu's voice rang out, as his fingers tapped the Lacrima._

_Soft bird chirping echoed across the room, as Natsu gingerly placed the pencil down. Closing his eyes as he simply let the music wash over him._

_Finally, they could hear the faint vocals of the artist begin to pick up. And just like that Natsu followed, closing his eyes as the music flowed._

_" **Ultimately I don't understand a thing, I try to do the best I can, I know you try to do the same-** " Natsu's voice flowed easily, a soft and very loving tone ultimately coloring his voice. " **We're just so bound to make mistakes,** **y** **ou could call it a disposition, I apologize for all your tears, I wish I could be different-"**_

_Soft gasps rang across the guild, any words were quickly silenced._

_" **But I'm still growing up."** Natsu's eyes opened to a half lid, almost as if he could relate to the music he was singing, A sad undertone coloring his voice as his lips twitched into a halfhearted smile. " **Into the one you can call your love, I don't know if I'll ever be enough."**_

_His body sagged, leaning over the table and staring forlornly at the lacrima._

_**"I'm throwing in my chips, I guess I tend to push my luck."** He tossed his pencil forward, placing his left elbow on the table and allowing his head to rest against his hand._

_**"And ultimately, I believe we'll be okay-"** He screwed his eyes shut again, tone inching towards hopefully, quickly placing his right hand on the table to grab the pencil he'd originally tossed. " **It's so cliche to say these things, but repetition is a key-"**_

_His hand gripped the pencil, relaxing and letting it glide over his fingers in rough motions._

_**"I think I'm better when I'm with you, But I worry when you're gone-"** His eyes opened up again, slowly dragging his right hand towards his chest as his head dipped low, soft pink locks falling across his face. **"I think I need to learn to love myself, I must learn to be strong."**_

_Natsu leaned back, onyx eyes shining and a soft, almost broken, smile touched his lips. For a second, he stared at nothing, closing his eyes as the next verse spilled from his lips._

_"S **o for now we'll say goodbye, Although it pains me in my heart."** He gently placed his left hand over his heart, almost subconsciously. " **Your words they come to me in memories, They sing to me like songs, It won't be long until I'm here-"**_

_A brief pause, his hand waving at the area around him, trickles of a low red flame dancing across his fingertips._

_" **Soon I'll make my arrival, Under shady trees,"** He placed his right hand above his eyes, before easily dragging it down to his lips, as if shushing the audience. **"A quiet street, The roads that I have traveled."**_

_He seemed almost giddy, opening his eyes as he wiggled his right hand. His smile fell into one of longing, hand falling to mess with the pencil he dropped._

_**"Ultimately it's a beautiful thing, Like flowers blooming in a lonely field."** He raised his right hand, wiggling it as a flame took the shape of a rose. Startled, he continued singing, but stared at his creation, even as it began to break, petals falling off and whisking into nothing. **"The petals drift through crossing winds,** **t** **hey find their way to river streams,** **t** **hat sent the water beautifully, it takes me back to you."**_

_Natsu glanced where the petals disappeared, a faraway look on his face as he basically whispered the last line._

_**"It takes me back to you…"** _

_The song ended with gentle strums of the guitar, and the background bird noise slowly falling._

_"Holy shit was that Fire-make magic." Natsu said clearly, as the screen faded to black._

Fairy Tail stood back in awe, eyes glistening at the tones. It was obvious that it had been a half assed attempt, the clear pauses and rushes to catch up to the music along with the sudden interruption of the fire flower in his palm.

"I never did make another flower." Natsu pouted, face a burning pink. "It looked so cool too."

Mato appeared back on screen, wiping a fake tear.

 _"Beautiful, simply beautiful, Kabo. Out of everyone Natsu was the one that surprised us the most, with such a strong head, and powerful moves who would expect the fire dragon slayer to make something so emotional, Kabo?"_ The announcer floated back, setting his body in a thinking position, before forgoing it to race up to the camera, a finger pointed towards the left. _"This next one wasn't the one submitted, but we figured out the song was named Green from the same group Natsu eventually chose to be the last song! A lovely brush of sadness, Kabo!"_

The guild sat, hushing and shushing each other softly.

Lucy laid an arm on Natsu's shoulder, giving him a thumbs up as he smiled at her. She leered at him, pointing at the screen with an _uh-hu_ look on her face that he ignored easily.

_This time, the setting was outside, somewhere just beyond Natsu's house and by a river. The small patch of grass that Natsu was sitting in was surrounded by Sunflowers, the browns nearly overtaking the yellow. The sunlight hit them, making the entire scene glow in the patches of green that Natsu was surrounded by._

_He had the lacrima again, this time tapping it with an earbud firmly planted in his ear._

_He held onto a rod, flinging the pole into the lake. With a snort, he flicked at the Lacrima again._

_The sounds of guitar notes being struck quickly filled their ears, about ten seconds of nothing but guitar noises before Natsu opened his mouth._

_**"This is erosion,"** He sang, voice low and almost longing. **"Grinding up rocks with your molars."**_

_There was already a big difference between this one and the last. Natsu seemed to be pacing himself, taking careful even breaths as he sang. There was also only his voice, and no background of the original artist, just haunting echoes of his own voice._

_**"A big fish swims past your rod,"** He tugged at his rod, simply lifting his head and checking the water with a stern glance. " **You can't catch it, it's far too fast."**_

_Natsu pulled at his rod, the sounds of splashing echoing in their ears, but not louder than the music itself. An average size cod landing on the floor in front of Natsu._

_**"Deep hook marks in rubber lips."** Gingerly he grabbed the fish, removing the hook. **"I see your eyes in the flowers."**_

_He got up slowly, very obviously being careful of the flowers around him._

_**"I'll pick a bunch for your room."** He passed by the flowers, the Lacrima following him as the sunflowers changed into different shades of Anemone blue being the most vibrant. **"Green and blue to match your pictures"**_

_He paused, blinking at the flowers behind him, smiling uneasily before continuing his trek back home. The sunlight faded as he entered the darker corners of the forest. Soft yellows turning into haunting greens._

_**"You looked so good in green, I hope you're well."** His tone took a more wistful tone, swaying his head back and forth. **"And you look so good with him, And I'm proud of you still."**_

_Natsu glanced up, the fish dangling from his hands as birds appeared above him, flying off, presumably because of how loud he was singing._

_**"I miss your perfect teeth,"** He grinned, showing off his fangs. **"I was too blunt, I hope you feel happy, that's all I want."**_

_He continued his trek, voice softly falling from wistful to longing. A small hint of desperation hit Natsu's tone._

_**"That's all I want."** _

_He made it home with little to no problems, the instrumental building. At a sudden beat of the drum, he opened his door wide._

_**"Mess in the kitchen,"** He rolled his eyes, placing the fish on the surprisingly clean counter. **"I was so disappointed."**_

_Pouting, he grabbed a knife, descaling the fish rather easily._

_**"I guess I got to my head,"** with a flick of the knife, he pretended to tap his head before flipping it to the side to gut the fish. **"And I was too young to understand it."**_

_They were lucky the sounds were basically muted, and the only thing they could see was the process of him gutting a fish rather clumsily. As soon as it was done, he began to prep it with oil and herbs._

_" **I get it now that it's too late."** He turned his back away from the fish, walking away. **"I never stopped feeling guilty."**_

_With a backwards flick of his hand, a gentle warm flame surrounded the fish, crisping it around the edges in an even heat._

_**"I'm over it, I promise that."** He glanced at the Lacrima floating by, nudging it slightly back with his elbow as he washed his hands. **"I just gotta sing it out of me."**_

_He stopped, and headed into the living room, dropping his body onto the couch as he slowly began to hit more into the notes._

_**"You looked so good in green, I hope you're well."** His eyes closed involuntarily, his left hand sweeping up as he pressed his fingers against his chest. " **And you look so good with him, And I'm proud of you still."**_

_A smile touched his lips, hints of his fangs poking out._

_**"Take care of my shirt, Warm and red."** A flame surrounded his left hand as he raised it up, red flames gently curling around his arm. **"I hope you think of me, Still as your friend."**_

_He sat up, letting the flames dance around his hand._

_**"I hope you love yourself, Your body and heart."** The flames curled around his chest, a meek heart forming before quickly disappointing. His tone grew more and more disappointed And hollow. **"I hope you feel happy, That's all I want."**_

_Natsu watched as his own flames disappeared, staring at his hands for a second before standing up. Onyx eyes glancing out the window._

_**"That's all I want."** A soft smile touched his lips, eyes dropping to the floor before glancing at the kitchen._

_In doing so, he spotted the Lacrima and glanced back at his arm._

_"You just record everything I do, don't you you tiny flying bast-" The video cut out, fading into black as a red face Natsu stomped forward._

The guild as a group all turned to Natsu, ignoring Mato for a second who was sobbing dramatically.

Natsu, red-faced began to sink into his scarf, eyes carefully avoiding everyone. Lucy sat by his side and grinned cheekily.

"I fucking knew you liked that song." Lucy's grin grew wider when a muffled _shut up_ came from Natsu.

She laughed, throwing her head back, only to laugh harder when Natsu head-butted her softly on the arm.

 _"Well that was certainly emotional, Kabo."_ Mato began to wipe away tears from his pumpkin face, dramatically slipping his handkerchief into his pocket. _"Now, for the finale, Kabo!"_

He slapped his hands, bringing up a small screen on the side. Where Natsu could clearly be seen sitting on a hammock where the sun shone _juuuust_ right to light up his surroundings in a golden glow, and outlining his shape as a warm shadow crossed the rest of his features.

 _"Natsu put this at the beginning of the recording to give us some insight on the song, something plenty of the contestants did, but we felt that Natsu's intro reallly deserved to be seen by others, especially when it explains so much to us, Kabo."_ Mato gave a smile, softer then any of the ones he had given them thus far. _"And with that, Kabo, let us begin!'_

The small screen with Natsu showed up, really pronouncing everything they could see before.

They weren't too sure if Natsu chose the lighting on purpose, or if it was just a coincidence, either way, it really made the whole experience seem a touch bit somber.

As if he was saying farewell.

_"Hello," Natsu's voice nervously filtered, drawing their attention. "My name is Natsu Dragneel, representing Fairy Tail for the preliminary rounds. Uh-."_

Makarov felt his entire posture sag in relief. The boy was confident in so many things, but seeing him back at this nervous state really brought a nostalgic note to his heart.

_"Well, the song I'm going to be singing is called Home by Cavetown." He started, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided looking into the camera. "I chose this song because I really felt it related to me and some of my guild members at Fairy Tail."_

_Another pause, quickly followed by a puff of frustration. Tiny licks of flames peeking out of Natsu's lips._

_"Neh, I'll be honest, learning about singing and all this has really brought a new experience to me. It was fun learning the ropes and figuring out the best notes I could do." Natsu paused, turning to stare at the camera with a smile on his face. "My favorite part has to be listening to the songs and just being reminded of my guild-mates. And while we fight a lot, they're my family. And hearing a song like this and just knowing everything they've done for each other and for me, really makes me feel like this fits all of us pretty well."_

Instantly, some guild members began to choke, throat thick with emotions as eyes began tearing up and just waiting to hear the beginning of the song.

_Natsu, on screen began to fluster, face flushing pink._

_"Oh fuck, if any of them hear me say that I'm gonna choke." Natsu peaked up. "I swear to god this better not be shown or I'm going to burn someone."_

Choked laughter rang around the guild, giggles echoing across the room even as the present Natsu sunk into Lucy's shoulder, humming his frustration.

_"Anyway!" Natsu held up the borrowed Lacrima he had. "Let's get to it!"_

_Finally, the music began to play as Natsu settled into an easier sitting position, breathing in and beginning to sing._

_**"Often I am upset that I cannot fall in love but I guess,"** His voice was soft and low, distant from the usual warmth his voice held. **"This avoids the stress of falling out of it"**_

_The video of Natsu began to filter out, a video of Fairy tail quickly taking his place._

_**"Are you tired of me yet?"** Fairy tails front doors faded out, and they were inside the guild hall, presumably after a drunken party as people lay strewn around the floor. **"I'm a little sick right now but I swear, When I'm ready I will fly us out of here."**_

_The image quickly cut to Pantherlily, who was dragging people by their collar, wings flapping furiously as he dragged them into more comfortable positions, Happy and Charla clearly shown in the background helping out._

_The music went from instruments alone to the echoing sound of Natsu humming to the beat. The music fading out and showcasing Levy._

_**"I'll cut my hair."** The bookworm clearly had a different cut, fingers nervously entwining in her hair as passerby’s stared. **"To make you stare."**_

_Suddenly, a group of people could be seen praising the style, Erza showing up with a bright smile._

_**"I'll hide my chest."** The camera angle changed to Erza walking away, her chest plate glaring in the small amount of light from an open window. " **And I'll figure out a way to get us out of here."**_

_She marched up to the Bar, leaning over it to talk to Mira, who looked to be happily listening to Erza babble about something or other._

_The images changed to random shots around the guild, people interacting laughing and just seemingly having a good time._

_As the instrumental slowed to let Natsu's voice pick up, the camera darted back to both Mira and Erza, who seemed to be having a deeper conversation than before._

_**"OoohoohOohooh, Turn off your porcelain face."** The camera focused on Mira, her smile twitching as her eyes casting downward, Erza's hand clearly being shown resting on her shoulder in a form of comfort._

_**"I can't really think right now and this place-"** It then changed to Cana, who seemed to be leaning up on Reedus as the painter shifted to make her position more comfortable, a dull set of colors on his palette. **"-** **h** **as too many colors, enough to drive all of us insane."**_

_The camera focused on the painting, spinning for a bit until you could see the open hall of the guild, where the camera proceeded to focus on Laxus. The lightning slayer laying across the table in some sort of pain._

_**"Are you dead? Sometimes I think I'm dead."** Lisanna and Freed can clearly be seen providing ice packs and the water, both of them placing gentle hands on his body. **"'Cause I can feel ghosts and ghouls wrapping my head, But I don't wanna fall asleep just yet."**_

_Laxus' eyes slipped close as they placed the pack on his forehead, both sitting by his side and patting his arms sympathetically._

_**"OoohoohOohooh, My eyes went dark."** The camera changed to Gray, his eyes overshadowed by his hair. **"OoohoohOohooh, I don't know where, OoohoohOohooh, My pupils are."**_

_Suddenly Juvia popped into frame, handing Gray a bottle of water as she seemed to babble something. The ice mage smiled softly, grabbing the bottle of water as Juvia sat next to him._

_**"But I'll figure out a way to get us out of here."** _

_The camera shifted again, dragging to the side before popping back into place where Gajeel can be seen hiding in the darkest corners of the guild._

_**"Get a load of this monster. He doesn't know how to communicate."** Jet and Droy are seen running forward, talking to Gajeel about something much to the confusion of the dragon slayer._

_**"Their mind is in a different place."** The camera shifts again, this time, to Lucy who's sitting at the end of the bar, a book in her hand. **"Will everybody please give him a little bit of space?"**_

_The image spun again, focusing on Bickslow and Elfman._

_**"Get a load of this train wreck."** They seem to be having a deep conversation, even so the camera zooms in on Wendy, who looked frazzled and exhausted._

_**"Their hair's a mess and she doesn't know who she is yet."** Wendy's eyes fall close clearly tired as she falls back, arms darting out to catch her. **"But little do we know, the stars, Welcome them with open…"**_

_The camera shifts to Bisca and Evergreen, both of them fretting over Wendy and trading between worried and scolding._

_**"Get a load of this monster."** Suddenly Gildart's is in view, easing into the conversation and probably easing the other two members from chewing out Wendy even more. **"He doesn't know how to communicate."**_

_Natsu is finally seen, but he looks confused, scratching his head as he's glancing around the room, ignoring the members who seem to be calling out to him._

_**"His mind is in a different place. Will everybody please give him a little bit of space?"** His eyes dart up, and he reaches to the sky, presumably to grab whatever's floating._

_**"Get a load of this train wreck."** Romeo, Macao and Wakaba can be seen, all three of them scrambling to clean up some fallen beer. " **His hair's a mess and he doesn't know who he is yet."**_

_Max and Warren walk by, laughing at the trio before offering their own help, grabbing paper towels in an attempt to clean up._

_**"But little do we know, the stars."** It's a sudden view of the whole guild, some people are hugging and laughing and others are cracking jokes, but it seems to look as if everyone is touching in one way or another. **"Welcome him with open arms."**_

_**"Oh."** The video slows down, panning up gingerly to Makarov, who is sitting there watching his children interact. **"Time is-"**_

_The old man is smiling, thanking Kinana who grabbed him a beer, both of them standing above the guild and grinning fondly._

_**"Slowly-"** _

_There's a close up of Makarov for a second, but he jumps down towards the bar, a few of the members flocking up to him to ask questions._

_**"Tracing his face."** A final close up of Makarov's face, he seems tired but happy, clearly enjoying his time with the ones close to him. There's one final shot of the whole guild, open doors are gently being closed as the screen fades to a warm red._

_**"But strangely he feels at home in this place."** The video ends back with Natsu, whose opening his eyes as he sings the last verse. A hopeful and fond tone echoing his last words as he smiles._

_Just before the video turns black, Natsu can be seen waving goodbye with an eager smile touching his lips._

Makarov felt his entire body shake. The notes of Natsu's tone, both hopeful and desperate to portray everything echoed heavily in his head.

Not to mention his portrayal of his guild.

Despite the obvious amateur movie editing, the entire video rang loud and true. Everyone in the guild was involved in one way or another, never focusing on one person for too long and showcasing how everyone seemed to help out.

He had no idea when Natsu was recording, he hadn’t even noticed the lacrima floating around taking a video of everyone. But it was nice to know that no one was left out.

For Heaven's sake, he was in there as well, and not as the grouchy old master everyone assumed him to be. But how Natsu saw him. The kind grandpa that just wanted to watch the next generation grow strong.

In fact…

Makarov stole a quick glance at Natsu who seemed to be a slight bit alarmed about the muffled sobs and tears cascading down his guild-mates faces.

Makarov grinned, feeling his own tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes as the full reality of what Natsu made rang in his head.

He portrayed everyone in such a loving light, and despite the words of the song, it could clearly be shown how much he respected and cared for them all.

He chose something he thought represented them all so well. And in a way he wasn’t wrong.

Natsu thought the world of them, they were stars, welcoming each other with open arms. Welcoming _Natsu_ , with open arms, despite the outside perspective that he was nothing but a monster.

He knew they all had something horrible clinging to them or something they were ashamed of saying allowed, and without hesitation still prevailed with loving them all regardless. They were all monsters in their own eyes, but Natsu didn’t care. Showed them how good they were with a song.

To see how Natsu really loved them all showed leaps and bounds in this simple music video. It was amazing and astounding. Natsu had never been good with words, and he doubted that after this that would change. But singing? Singing seemed to be Natsu’s go to, and it was something Makarov found himself looking forward too.

 _"Now that was 1st place material, Kabo."_ Mato stated, startling half of them out of their tears to stare at the pumpkin. _"I'm not sure if you all could feel it, but I sure as heck felt the love in that video, Kabo."_

The pumpkin flew back, much more tame than before.

 _"With this in mind, the 1st round will start soon, we'll be sending every winner the rules for the next round in the upcoming weeks, this round will also be derived from teams of our choosing, but anything after that needs a chosen team, Kabo."_ Mato grinned, an arm thrown up halfheartedly. _"I'll see you all in a week or two, Kabo, Goodbye!"_

The screen turned black and Lacrima consequently teleported out of existence, presumably back to the judges at the grand magic games.

They all stayed in a comfortable silence, quiet sniffles and sobs still echoing the guild hall.

"Natsu," Lucy spoke up, wiping at her face as her friend turned to face her.

Natsu looked alarmed, eyes darting to everyone in the guild before trying to focus on Lucy.

"That was amazing." She broke, trying to stop the next onslaught of tears.

He looked concerned, eyes narrowing at her as a nervous look crossed his face.

"So… I did good?" Natsu tilted his head.

She burst into laughter, everyone in the guild following along and startling the poor slayer.

"You did good, my boy." Makarov grinned, wiping at his own fallen tears. "You did good."

Natsu grinned, face perking up as he joined in on the laughter. Relief obviously flowing into his body.

He did good!

  
  


He did good.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Soft and sweet just like i like it!
> 
> Thank you all for reading, feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> -Maiden out.


End file.
